Happy Halloween

No these are not the kiddos Halloween costumes -- this is just us today being "normal" .lol.

Bubba is Blue

For whatever reason, today during nap time, Bubba thought it would be good to suck on a blue marker... no clue why, but he did! Good thing they are nontoxic...

dinner

We all love cornbread in our house, can never have too much of it! The other night I made chili and corn bread - with the help of little Zek :0) he just sat in his little chair watching everything - he has Shortie's personality, very attentive and patient. But, he is a Schroeder boy when it comes to food. If there is food in sight that is his focus --- Just like Bubba (and Jon). Bubba will eat cornbread until he is sick! He begs to eat the batter, and watches the oven until they are finished!

Attack!

The kids attacked us! They had a blast!!! The first picture is Bubba trying to do his hair - that boy needs a hair cut!

Bubba and his bread

Bubba loves bread. loves.loves it! Same goes for butter!

Zek Kickin'

Baby Zek loves his play mat toy. His little legs go super fast!

just a post

I haven't been to good on posting... although I've had a crazy week with Shortie being sick -- not getting any sleep...

I haven't downloaded any of the pictures from the last week, so I don't have any to add, so this is just a rambling.

Its hard to believe it was three years ago last week we found out we were pregnant with Bubs. Two years ago last weekend that I had my double knee surgery. A year ago today we got home from our Cali trip -- and all the horrible fires in San Diego. And, in a few days, it makes it a year ago that we found out we were having another little baby - little Zek. Crazy, crazy! oh - and that also means that it was nearly a year ago that we decided we were going to move for Jons job - again.

Where does the time go?

I remember getting a letter from my Dads dad, and he mentioned that a year is no longer a year, and the last time it was he was a child -- I am really starting to grasp that now. Time is so different with each passing year - someone has sped the clock up, hours are like minutes. I am so grateful to have our children view points, and sometimes, I get to see the world again through a child's eye --- so raw, peaceful, full of endless possibilities, and time - it last forever!

How Do I...???

Zek was trying to figure out how to get his toy from his feet to his mouth... adorable. I love the last two when he finally has the toy, but his little toes are still working.

String Cheese

The kids new favorite snack foods are apples and string cheese. Bubba will eat an apple all the way to the seeds... literally spitting the seeds out to continue eating it. They've always loved both apples and cheese, but lately its been a bribing snack - they can't seem to eat enough apples and cheese. Its great. Here are pictures of them enjoying and playing with the cheese.

Toes in a Blanket

Baby Zek loves playing with his toes and the blanket Gaw made for...I think this was Bubbas blanket...although, I did steal most of the blankets she made regardless if they were for my kids ;0) but I am pretty sure this was either made for Shortie or Bubba...

Papa Juice

Jon brought home some "Papa Juice" aka root beer. At first Jon was drinking it and the kids didn't want to try any, but as soon as he said it was Papa Juice - they couldn't drink it fast enough. Although it isn't the same brand as Papa's Papa Juice - they adjusted rather quickly :0)

Zek and his toes

This picture makes us laugh... it doesn't really look like Zek to us. who knows. Oh, and his hair on the sides is blond!

I love his toes! They are always going.going.going!

silly pictures

Poor Bubba fell right as the picture was taken --- not sure how he fell, but he crashed -kinda bounced off Shortie and on me

The four of us... not sure what we were really doing in the picture...but at least, for the most part, we are all in the picture

Letters & Coloring

Shortie colored Obi-Wan.... I was really impressed because she thought about which letters might spell Obi - she did a good job

Bubba tried to color and do some letters - but he ended up with a lot of marker on himself...?

Poor Shortie wasn't feeling well, but she still had fun coloring and practicing her letters

Tuesday

On Tuesday we went and looked at a bunch of places to move. The one that was our favorite had the worst realtor - she was nearly thirty minutes late, and then couldn't figure out how to get her electronic key to work... it was horrible.

We had fun however while we waited in the car - luckily on the way we picked up some drinks and pizza -

here is a video of Shortie eating a candy while we were waiting - she was eating a blue one - Jon loves the blue ones, I hate them - part of the "olive theory" from How I Met Your Mother... besides that... that background shot was not what we were expecting :)

this video is for Gaw... notice the "ahhh" after the drink

this is one of the places...the one with the horrible realtor... Jon loved the backyard, it went down to a little creek with lots of beautiful trees

Coloring

Coloring is so much fun! Baby Zek was having fun watching them color. Shortie colored a picture for Gaw and Papa, and then one for Daddy. Bubba colored a few pictures, and then he played 'beat'em up' with the crayons - not sure if they were jedi's or what..some sort of mean guys according to him. Such a boy!

Get-U

Zek loves playing "Get-You" Here he is about to get Jon -- drool and all.

Zek laughing at Daddy

Baby Zek laughing while Jon tickles him.

laughing baby

Tonight Baby Zek was laughing at his Daddy - and I filmed it :) I wish we could bottle up little baby laughter and save it for hard times --- at the least it makes you grin - but usually, we can't resist but laugh too. Shortie had the best belly laugh as a baby - we use to call Sarah and leave her voice mails of it. Bubbas laugh (more of a scream of happiness) was more of a dolphin call -- it made us laugh in shock that a little baby boy could make such a noise. I love baby laughter. Anyways - we will be posting the video tomorrow --- stay tuned

Sleeping

Baby Zek fell asleep in his jumper

Star Wars

Jon taught Shortie how to play Lego Star Wars video game - and now she loves everything Star Wars. At the store her and Bubba spotted Star Wars shirts (among a million other Star Wars things) so they each got to pick out one (oddly enough they picked the same one -- usually they pick different ones and then fight for the others, this made it easy to have two of the same). The kids put their shirts on to surprise Daddy and they even slept in them.

Shortie also tries to teach Bubba and Zek more about Star Wars

Singing

Shortie and Bubba were singing God is Bigger from her Veggie Tales music book.

Zek

Yes, I realize I am posting three blogs in a row of Zek... I have a lot of things to post, and I am trying to go in order of when the pictures were taken (minus the trip) and the ones of the other kids include video - and that takes a little while to upload --- I figured while I was feeding Zek I would add a few post --if I did the video it would only be one post... yes a lot of explaining...its late...yet again rambling...



Anyways. We've realized that Zek is more than likely going to have brown eyes (probably a brownish green...not that deep brown... more a pale brown...) Shortie has piercing blue - sometimes teal looking eyes, Bubba has hazel eyes (in the light you can really see all the colors... the center is the most brown, then a green with bits of brown, and the edge is a gray blue...) and Zeks already look more brown...who knows...only time will tell. -oh and Jon has blue eyes, and mine are a hazel of brown and green.

Its fun that they all look alike - but different - Shortie is the only one that had blond hair and blue eyes. She had a button nose when little and long turtle neck. Bubba had the apple cheeks and dimples with very curly reddish brown thick hair and lots of it. And Zek he has brown thin hair, apple cheeks, Shortie's smile, and adorable little ears. Yet they all three look alike... DNA - so interesting :) Oh, and then there are their personalities --- thats a whole other blog... maybe another late night ramble in the future

Zeks New Jumper

We bought Zek our favorite toy. We had one for only a little while with Shortie (didn't realize how much we'd love it until she was practically too big for it) with Bubba we bought it as soon as he was 4 months (and the awesome jumpy car...hmm...we'll buy that next) which came in handy while I was recovery from surgery --- it entertains the kiddos so much that you have free moments to do other things. So we had been waiting to buy it for Zek - knowing we'd love it - he'd love it - and Shortie and Bubba would crack up watching him bounce --- we bought it- and we all love it more than we thought we would.

Here is a picture of Zek in it for the first time. He was so fascinated with the lights!

Zek and his hands

Zek now has not only figured out that those objects are his hands, but that he can control them --- and eat them :) our other two kiddos never really tried to suck their thumbs, or other fingers for that matter - but Zek tries to eat his whole hands -- its really funny to watch. He also drools a lot! A lot a lot!

late night ramble

So I really do have lots of photos to add - and not just of the trip - but I've been mentally busy trying to figure life out...well, not so much life - but where to move and when to move --- lots on the mind ---

anyways - while looking up places to live, Jon and I thought it was very funny that one of the townhouses put on its listing on MSN that they were 5 minutes from Starbucks! Seriously - is that what we've come to? Buying a house because its by a Starbucks?!?!?! On the road trip I was shocked that literally every street corner in Boston had a Starbucks --- walk to the end of one street and turn the corner and .boom. there is another one!... so weird how we can't drive 15 minutes for something --- heck in Vermont I had to wait-what-8 hours to find a Starbucks -finally in New York!!!

so here is one of my favorite candid moments from the trip...

from our camera

still waiting to see if there are any candid ones on my parents camera

*hint.hint*

J/K

that was for you Mom!

this is the first night in New Haven, Conn. The hotel room was great - we had a one bedroom (everything was booked as we tried to book it moments before we took off for the road, as it was one of the busiest weekends for the New England states for travel -- yea for fall foliage tourist!) and I thought no problem - a king bed in one room for my parents - and the sofa bed for us... Shortie had been saying she wanted to sleep with Gaw and Papa - so that would just leave Jon, myself, and Bubba on the bed - Zek being in his thingeemabober...wrong! The whole Schroeder family slept on the sofa bed...and by the whole Schroeder family sleeping - I really mean, Jon and the kids sleeping...lol. the kids are like him and can sleep anywhere - not me... but it was fun and made for a great story - and some silly photos